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Sunday, September 6, 2009

"Frankenstein" not "Grand" enough

With a bit of acoustic Band of Horses flavor (guitarist Mat Brooke was on their debut), the Seattle quartet offers a second album of calm, quietly rocking tracks. With the likes of the plaintive "Oslo Novelist" and crisp dance of "Left for all the Strays," "Frankenstein" has strong tracks for fans of Mat Brooke and calmer, restrained pop. But the tradeoff here is that these tracks don't immediately grip you; the best of them require room and time for them to grow, whereas the worst simply fade from memory. One of the weaker tracks, the weird shuffling boogie of "Dig that Crazy Grave," break the spell the album quietly weaves. Though there are good songs here, ultimately, there isn't enough material to recommend the whole, and unlike the mad doctor, "Frankenstein," for the most part, tends towards being forgettable. Try a couple tracks and let them grab you (or not) before you dig into "Frankenstein."Listen to "Oslo Novelist": http://www.myspace.com/453173424